-Conservatism: coherent view of human nature, social organization, and political power that generally justified the status quo
-Conservatives advocated changes when designed to strengthen the kind of society they favored
-Argued for social order
-Emphasized the limitations of human understanding, the wisdom of established customs, the value of hierarchy, and the social importance of religion
-Mounted a powerful critique of modern society itself as perilously inclined toward antisocial individualism, materialism, and immorality
-Edmund Burke: argued society exists through continuity
-By granting special privileges to certain groups, it fulfills social needs in a way that sustains order, making it so that status and social rank eventually is beneficial to all
-“Natural historical order” was wiser than artificial plans of radicals
-Rejected ideas of Enlightenment
-Saw evidence of human error in French Rev.
-French writers: Joseph de Maistre and Louis de Bonald
-Argued that Society’s first task is self-preservation
-Only authority can check the selfish wills of individuals and authority requires undivided sovereignty, social hierarchy, close links between church and state, and vigilant suppression of dangerous ideas
-Connected religion to politics
-Different from Burke
-Conservatives advocated changes when designed to strengthen the kind of society they favored
-Argued for social order
-Emphasized the limitations of human understanding, the wisdom of established customs, the value of hierarchy, and the social importance of religion
-Mounted a powerful critique of modern society itself as perilously inclined toward antisocial individualism, materialism, and immorality
-Edmund Burke: argued society exists through continuity
-By granting special privileges to certain groups, it fulfills social needs in a way that sustains order, making it so that status and social rank eventually is beneficial to all
-“Natural historical order” was wiser than artificial plans of radicals
-Rejected ideas of Enlightenment
-Saw evidence of human error in French Rev.
-French writers: Joseph de Maistre and Louis de Bonald
-Argued that Society’s first task is self-preservation
-Only authority can check the selfish wills of individuals and authority requires undivided sovereignty, social hierarchy, close links between church and state, and vigilant suppression of dangerous ideas
-Connected religion to politics
-Different from Burke